


Hour's End

by lirin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Chocolate Box Treat, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 04:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9701192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/pseuds/lirin
Summary: Hermione and Ron realize that Harry never joined them in the Great Hall.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sheeana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheeana/gifts).



The hour Voldemort had given them was almost up. Hermione glanced at a clock, and suddenly realized that she had spent nearly the entire hour comforting the Weasleys instead of helping to care for the wounded or to prepare for the further battle to come. She stood up abruptly. “I need to see if there’s anything to be done outside,” she said.

“I’ll come with you,” Ron said, and took her hand.

“Have you seen Harry?” she asked him, as they walked through the entrance hall.

He thought for a second. “I haven’t seen him since we found my family in the Great Hall. You?”

“Same. I don’t think he came into the Great Hall with us.”

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Ron said after a moment. “He wouldn’t go anywhere without telling us.”

“He might if it was important enough,” Hermione said, and in the same instant, Lord Voldemort’s voice resounded through the castle.

_“Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him…”_

When Voldemort finally stopped speaking, Hermione and Ron stared in disbelief out at the forest for several moments. Ron was the first to break the silence. “It has to be a lie. Harry would never run away.”

“But what if—” Hermione choked on her words for a moment; they were too painful to contemplate. “What if he wasn’t running away, because of course he wasn’t, but whatever he was doing looked like he was? Or even if that part is a lie, what if the part where he’s—” Could she say it? It had to be said. “—dead, isn’t a lie.”

“There’s no reason for it to be true,” Ron assured her. “They just want to dishearten the defenders. Common tactic in war.”

“I hope you’re right,” Hermione said.

The other defenders were joining them outside now. Together, they faced the Forbidden Forest and watched Voldemort’s forces approach. Soon, one way or another, they would know what had happened to Harry.


End file.
